


Perspective

by serenesavagery (windrunnerdreamer)



Category: Stormlight Archive - Brandon Sanderson
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, Book 01: The Way of Kings, F/M, Romantic Fluff, That's it, Unrequited Crush, adolin is probably not very qualified to deal with his own emotions if they're too strong, if genderbending isn't your thing that's ok!, please don't read in that case!, syl comes for like two seconds, that is literally this fic, this is very self indulgent
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-02
Updated: 2020-06-02
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:49:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 520
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24504937
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/windrunnerdreamer/pseuds/serenesavagery
Summary: "Where's your coat?" Renarin asks, surprised.Adolin thinks of the surgeon who had screamed at him with angry brown eyes, thinks of the very same surgeon saving him with nothing but a simple spear, blue light circling around her like a halo, and of the very same surgeon who he gave said coat to, brown eyes softened with confusion."I don't know." He lies, smiling, because it's all he can do.
Relationships: Kaladin/Adolin Kholin
Comments: 4
Kudos: 33





	Perspective

“You looked cold,” He said, with a hesitant smile.

Kalai paused. The princeling wasn’t putting on the charming smile he had made the mistake of showing her when they had first met- he was rubbing the back of his neck and looking down at her cautiously, biting on his lip, crystal blue eyes clearly hopeful.

It reminded her too much of a kicked axehound pup- which was fair, because that was how she had treated him when they first met; for all that she was only a darkeyed surgeon and he a lighteyed man in line to the throne. 

_“You, have to be one of the most entitled men I have ever met, Brightlord. No disrespect, of course.”_

_“Excuse me?”_

_“Do you honestly not think of anyone apart from yourself, Brightlord? Just because you wanted to have a bout with a chasmfiend doesn’t mean you make our jobs any easier._ Look _at them. At those surgeons, who are at their wits’ end to fix those limbs of yours!”_

Besides, she was cold anyway. Winter seemed particularly unforgiving this year. 

“Thank you.” She finally said, accepting the coat. 

Adolin blinked, surprised but his face broke out into a pleased grin- one entirely too bright for Kalai to face directly. 

“I’ll walk you to the camp?” 

Kalai looked at him in confusion. “Uh. Sure. But why?”

“You’re going there, right? Besides, never know when the Sadeas soldiers are looking to cause trouble...it's a joke! It's _not_ that they’re bad men-”

Kalai gave him a look. Adolin chuckled awkwardly.

She sighed as she absently inspected the coat. Custom-made. As usual. 

“Sure.” She said, finally, putting it on.

Because kindness was a rare thing to be witnessed in all of its truly misunderstood simplicity, and here she was, faced with kindness at its best.

* * *

“Thank you.” She says quietly, taking off her, no, _his_ coat but Adolin catches the wrist of her freehand, before staring at his own hand, stupefied.

“No. Keep it. Please.” Adolin says, quietly.

His eyes are intense, though, something Kalai can’t place, is burning in there and she’s only confused. 

What’s going on? 

“Why?” She asks, blinking.

Adolin smiles, a little too sadly perhaps, despite the cheer in his words.

“I never liked that coat anyway.” He says, his words and hold on her achingly gentle.

Kalai knows he’s lying- that he wouldn’t belittle her by giving her a coat he didn’t want, because storms, after you fix someone’s limbs five to seven times, you do tend to understand a little bit more about them. 

And after you save someone with the help of a strange spren, you do get a lot more perspective about said someone.

“You sure?” 

Adolin nods. “Positive.”

* * *

When he lets go of her wrist, it feels colder, lacking the warmth of his touch and Kalai founds herself inexplicably saddened as she watches the prince walk away. 

Syl pops out, curious but Kalai only shrugs.

She looks at the coat before removing it and holding it under one arm, walking away to her tent. 

The princeling had been simply strange, she recalls with a frown.


End file.
